Sri Lanka shines at Outbound Travel Mart of India

Sri Lanka won the awards for ‘Best Group Participation’ and ‘Best Stall’ at the recently concluded Outbound Travel Mart of India (OTM), the biggest annual event conducted by the neighbouring giant focused on outbound travel. The event was held in two locations, namely Mumbai and New Delhi, which are regarded as India’s best outbound tourism markets.

Accordingly, the first step of the OTM was held in Mumbai from 8 to 10 February 2013, which saw Sri Lanka winning the award for ‘Best Group Participation’. The Lankan contingent included 36 travel and tour agents and hoteliers, and was led by the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau.

Sri Lanka also had the honour of seeing its Consular General in India, Upeka Samaratunga, being invited as the Chief Guest of the Mumbai event. She was also the Chief Guest of the Lankan stall in Mumbai. Sri Lanka won its second award at this year’s OTM of India, when the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau’s stall which was established at the Delhi event, was chosen as the ‘Best Stall’ of the venue.

The Delhi event of the OTM was held from 14 to 16 February. Sri Lanka faced competition from countries like Russia, China, Thailand, The Philippines, Maldives and Indonesia at this event. Apart from promoting regular products, SLTPB keenly focused on promoting the country’s whale watching expeditions among the Indian travellers during this event. Sri Lankan participants also got the opportunity to hold one-to-one business meetings with Indian outbound travel market representatives during the event. Sri Lankan High Commissioner in India, Prasad Kariyawasam was the Chief Guest of the Delhi event of the OTM. Attending this event was one of a series of planned promotional events Sri Lanka Tourism is planning to hold in India, in a bid to attract a slice of the growing outbound tourism market in India.